Connect with us

Business

Mandatory Punishment for Dispensaries that Serve Minors Vetoed

Published

on

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Monday, Sept. 10, California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have imposed mandatory minimum punishments for cannabis stores or dispensaries that sell products to minors. Cannabis stores that are caught selling to minors already risk facing penalties from state authorities.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Jean Fuller and would have imposed a 15-day suspension for the first offense, a 25-day suspension for the second offense within 36 months and permanently revoke state licenses for businesses that violate the rule three times within the span of three years. Fuller said that with Proposition 64 in full effect, preventing cannabis from falling into the hands of minors should be a “top priority.”

Under the watchful eye of California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control, dispensaries face penalties if they break the rules.  Currently, the Bureau of Cannabis Control has discretion when deciding the punishment for businesses that are caught selling to minors. Gov. Brown believes that the current rules are sufficient enough and no changes need to be made.

The bill would have limited the Bureau of Cannabis Control’s “ability to carry out enforcement actions based on the pertinent facts of a violation,” Brown stated. “This bill is not necessary. The bureau already has the authority to revoke, suspend and assess fines if a licensee sells to a minor.” According to the rules, only adults 21 and over with a valid state ID can have access to recreational cannabis.

Gov. Brown did however sign Assembly Bill 2164, introduced by Rep. Ken Cooley, which allows California cities to fine businesses for local ordinance violations by cultivators.

In other states, such as Oregon, decoy minors are sent out to dispensaries to test how well they reject underage patrons. In Oregon, sting operations have yielded mixed results. Sting operations could ramp up in California as well, once recreational sales become more widespread.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *